Jeff Bezos' space company Blue Origin is reportedly raising £7.7bn ($10bn) in what would be its first external fundraising round, according to The New York Times. The round values the company at approximately £100bn ($130bn) before the new money comes in, with major technology hedge fund Coatue Asset Management expected to contribute about £3.1bn ($4bn). Bezos himself is said to be committing around £1.5bn ($2bn), with other large investors providing the remainder.
The fundraising arrives at a critical juncture for Blue Origin. In late May, its flagship New Glenn rocket exploded during testing as it prepared for its fourth launch, and the company has yet to determine the cause. The launchpad at Cape Canaveral — the only one capable of supporting the rocket — also requires rebuilding. Despite the setback, Blue Origin intends to use New Glenn for launches later this year.
Blue Origin's primary focus is now on supporting NASA's Artemis missions to return humans to the moon. The company is also pursuing ambitious plans to launch and operate data centres in orbit, tapping into a growing movement to move significant computing capacity to space. Additionally, some of the new funding may go toward Blue Origin's satellite internet network, revealed earlier this year, which aims to provide connectivity to enterprise, government and data centre customers using thousands of satellites.
The investment round follows SpaceX's blockbuster initial public offering last month, which raised more than £65bn ($85bn) at a £1.35tn ($1.75tn) valuation. The contrasting fortunes highlight the intensifying competition in the commercial space sector, which is increasingly intersecting with artificial intelligence and cloud computing.
For UK regulators, the development raises questions about how to oversee space-based data infrastructure. The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has yet to issue specific guidance on orbital data centres, while the EU's AI Act — which applies to UK companies serving European customers — may extend to AI processing in space. UK businesses reliant on cloud services could benefit from lower latency and enhanced data sovereignty if space-based computing becomes viable, though the technology remains years from commercial deployment.